Thursday, January 16, 2020

A Gentle Snowfall

It's snowing gently outside, though it hasn't accumulated to any depth yet.  The dedicated fellow who shovels our sidewalk was here shortly after 7, scraping away outside the front door.  We never speak, but I hope he knows he's appreciated.  Now the world just looks white with a nice coating of tiny hexagonal crystals.

I've had a new caregiver the past two mornings.  It seems really remarkable if I think about it, but here you can have a complete stranger come into your house and become a sort of friend very quickly.  It's partly the expected roles of course; I'm the client and she's the Personal Support Worker (PSW) and we both know what we need to do.  But still compared to my past life the situation I'm in now makes us adapt quickly.  I become the instructor again and guide her through what she has to do.  At least all my 5 main caregivers are nice people, even though they have quite different personalities.

My wheelchair needed a service call yesterday, so I had to stay home from coffee.  The right arm felt about ready to fall off, but the tech was able to tighten things up and it should be fine for another few months now.  Given that it costs as much as a small car (though our government picks up most of the tab - one of the few home care things it does right), I guess I should expect to need occasional service.

Our resident Ostrich with its head (almost) in the snow.

I'm working on writing another article these days, and vaguely planning another couple.  So if you were to see me sitting in front of the big window staring out vacantly for awhile, I'm actually working hard.  I usually spend a lot of 'mental time'  thinking things out before setting fingers to keyboard.  This one is a second article on geology in the valley.  A friend thought so well of my last newsletter article that he recommended to the Bruce Trail Conservancy that they publish it in their magazine, in preparation for the next annual meeting which will be held here in the valley next fall.  I'll have to share it with you sometime.

I add this picture just to show you that I can learn from my mistakes.  I explored my simple editing program until I found the 'straightening' function.  I posted this yesterday with a very crooked horizon; today I have it about right I hope.

I also brightened up all these pictures except the first one.  That's one thing you get used to quickly when shooting pictures in a snowy landscape.  The camera automatically tries to damp down the exposure, but this usually leaves pictures of snow looking a little too dark compared to what I actually see.

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Very sorry to read last night that George, of Our Awesome Travels has passed away.  He learned of his cancer just this October and moved into the hospice in Stratford in late fall.  He or Suzie kept posting in his blog right up to the end, and you can find funeral arrangements there today.  I was very impressed at how he kept being his cheerful self throughout this ordeal.  Our thoughts are with Suzie and their family.  We met George and Suzie three years ago; he is one of 4 Ontario RV bloggers who I've followed, heading south for the winter and back home each summer.  George was a chef and you can access a long list of great simple recipes on his blog.  Rest in peace George.


11 comments:

  1. That picture looks just perfect now! I love the fact that we are always learning better ways to use our technological miracles. I didn't follow George, but I am so happy to hear that he kept smiling and cheerful right to the end. It gives hope for me that I will be able to do the same when my time comes.

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  2. The snow makes for a wonderful photo. Your evergreen trees make it more wonderful. Snow is coming for us tomorrow and the severe cold started today at -3 F. I just learned how to turn on my light on my phone. I haven't had a real cell ever so I keep learning new things as I go along. I hope your chair doesn't require too much work on it. I know high tech sometimes makes them touchy. Do take care.

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  3. Love the second picture!!
    Didn't follow George but sorry to hear your friend has died.

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  4. The snow is lovely! It's great that your government provides decent healthcare that pays for necessary items like wheelchairs. Something my country has yet to learn..... Sorry to hear about the death of your blogging friend.

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  5. Nice to see your snow. It's good to hear you have pleasant caregivers, a good caregiver can make things so much easier.

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  6. Sorry to hear of your loss. Thank you for sharing your photos.

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  7. Those are some snowy pictures!! I'm happy you are pleased with your PSW's.
    Nice words for George.

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  8. I love the snow but hardly ever enjoy shoveling it. That's less of an issue in Virginia than it was during my years in Maine. Glad you are getting the care that you need. Condolences about your friend. He sounds like a good guy.

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  9. I know the sadness when a blogging friend dies. Sometimes their words stay with us a long long time. My sympathy to you we can never have too many friends.
    Bless the fellow that shovels for you! :)

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  10. Beautiful views. I had not followed George; I'm sorry about your friend.

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